Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1887-01-14
THE BASI:LISK.
A STORY OFTO-DAY.
CHAPTER XVII.

Her first thought on recovering from
the surprise and terror of the last few
minutes, was for my safety.
"You must not let him SEQ you. They
will kill you if they know of this she
said. Il: -
II will kill him if he dares to modest
you,' said.
mo; he will do me no harm; I will
not see him again.
elbow can you prevent it?"
II can keep in my own roon,' she
said quickly. HE is recovering. Do
not let him see you-pray do not let
him see YOUR <'.5s',*
Plowitz showed unmistakable signs of
coming to life again; and Mary drew
me, with force which was chiefly de-
rived from her petitioning tones, to-
yards the door.
"Do not stay" she whispered earnest
ly.
I turned towards the secret entrance.
"This is the way" she said, in
dicating the other direction. Lhe did
not know of the staircase machinery then.
AS I recognized the advantage of learn
ing all l could about the geography of
the house, 1 followed her directions
without trying to enlighten her. At
the end of a dark and narrow passage
we came to door which opened upon
sort of back landing.
"Where does this lead to?''
"The way you came up,' she whis-
pered in tone of surprise,
There was no time for explanation,
and / could at least find my way into
the hall; but as I got halfway down
the stairs, I heard the voice of Hardy in
conversation with woman. Mary
Fortescue, who was watching anxiously
from tho top, hurriedly stopped me.
"Stay! There is Hardy! Come back!'
Certainly could not get by without
being discovered, and to remain longer
where Twas was highly dangerous. Mr..
| and Miss Beaufoy mi ht be even now
returned. Plowitz would be seeking
some explanation of the blow that had
struck him so suddenly. must return
the other way at once. l returned to
the top of the stairs. I took Mary's
hand.
"Come,' said; Il will show you
| how came in"
Istepped noiselessly past the door of
the room where had interrupted the
interview. Mary had closed it behind
US. paused a second, and heard
Plowitz's voice. Was he moaning in
stupefed pain? No; he was swearing
| deeply in German, and-yes-I certain
| ly heard him chuckling.
Mary ran back to the end of the
passage, to secure her retreat to her
room, where she could protect herself
from intrusion. | waved my hand to
her, and then felt in the dim light for
tho apparatus, which I was convinced
must be somewhere on or in the wall.
l had assumed that the means of exit
would be obvious. l was proportion
ately Mortified to find that no trace of
the desired machinery was to be found.
| I scrabbled ut the woodwork, and
pressed vainly at the door. No sign
OF the apparatus-no symptom of yield
ing was to be found I heard the step
of Plowitz in the room HARDLY. It
was all very we'll to think that I was
more than q match for the puffy and
| bewildered German. But it was not for
myself that I was anxious. There was
one, whom could SEQ family at the end
OF the passage, who was a thousand
times dearer to me than life itself, for
whose safety I felt myself responsible.
All sorts of dangers-unknown dangers
/ knew to threaten her. My own es-
cape I did not see how to compass. If
| she fled with mo, what had l to offer
herP If her guardians claimed her,
what had IL who kept my footing in
the house under false pretences-to
oppose to their legal claim? In des-
peration pressed Che panelling, tried
the door. Suddenly I heard
a door open, apparently at
the foot of the other staircase. The
voice of Hardy sounded distinctly
through the silence; a heavy foot was
heard upon the stairs. I saw Mary
Fortescue making gestures Of desperate
urgency. I felt all round the frame of
the door with feverish eagerness. No
sign of yielding! No trace of the hidden
mechanism! T..
She saw my plight, evidently. I
heard her call to Hardy: .'~s
Ills that you, Hardy?" ~>
"Yes, MISS
"Tell Mrs. Hardy I want to speak to
her,"
: "All right, miss, when I've brought
these Goals up" 80"
"No-now, Hardy"
"Thcsc Goals is heavy" said Hardy,
his voice getting nearer, and his stops
sounding closer on the stairs.